Voorheesville leaves no doubt; rolls to Class B title

GLENS FALLS >> The Voorheesville boys basketball team knew coming in to Saturday’s Section II Class B championship game exactly what the squad was capable of.

A veteran roster, made up of multi-year starters and senior leadership, the top-seeded Blackbirds were ready for a battle, but also knew that they could fight.

So that’s what they did, grabbing the momentum from the get-go and cruising to a 61-37 victory over No. 6 Broadalbin-Perth.

It’s the Blackbirds’ first title since 2005.

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“This is what they wanted,” Voorheesville coach David Burch said. “Especially last year after we struggled through the season. All of those trials and tribulations fueled them in the offseason. They came in in the fall, just focused and ready to go.””

The Blackbirds offense came out firing on all cylinders in the first half, sinking 48% of their shots from the floor, including going 4-for-12 from outside the arc.

“We came out strong,” senior guard Noah Crawford, who was named the Class B tournament MVP said. “Whenever we can get it in to the big guys. It helps make our outside open up. So that’s perfect for us.”

Taking advantage of a bit of height down low, Voorheesville moved the ball through the Patriot’s zone defense, working an inside-out look to open up shots.

On the other end of the spectrum, Broadlabin-Perth went just 7-for-27 from the field and connected only two of its nine first half free throws.

Going into the break with a solid 34-19 lead over the Patriots, after giving up just four points in the entire first quarter, Voorheesville was already feeling pretty confident, just 16 minutes into the matchup.

“We didn’t want to be too confident,” Crawford, who finished with 10 points, said. “We wanted to be ready to go. Any game can get away from you. They could come back and fight.”

As the third quarter started, Broadalbin-Perth knew that adjustments had to be made, especially on defense if the squad was going to slow down the Blackbirds’ well balanced offense.

The Patriots broke out a full-court attack in the second half, pressuring f

rom every and angle to make Voorheesville’s offense as uncomfortable as possible on the court. But while Voorheesville didn’t respond in, perhaps, the best way to the pressure, turning the ball over more often than in

the first half, the Blackbirds still took a commanding 18-point lead heading into the final eight minutes of play.

For as well as its offense had played all game, led by Dylan Hensel’s game-high 20 points, Voorheesville’s defense stepped up in a major way in the fourth quarter, holding the Patriots’ to minimal points in the first few minutes of the period and answering Broadalbin’s pressure. Not a single Patriot player finished in double digits in the loss.

“That was our best defensive performance of the year,” Burch said. “By far. It’s just a great group of guys.”

Even when foul trouble became a bit of an issue for the Blackbirds, the experienced squad never lost its head, staying the course as the clock wound down.

“It was probably one of the main things we had going for them,” Vogel said. “We kind of thought that they lost their heads to be honest. Our 2-3 zone is fierce.”

The championship sends Voorheesville on to the state tournament, where the Blackbirds will square off against Section X champ Ogdensburg Free Academy on March 4. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. At Saratoga High School.